Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-22
THE N1syoRTUNEs OF BILL SINGLETON.
BY e. A. LEE.

BYse. A. Ire.
1t was a chilly day in November. A
merry group of five men had gathered
around the little stove in the store in
Melville, a small mountain town, and
were carrying on a lively conversation
among themselves. It was no unusual
thing to see from four to eight loafers
any day, especially when the weather was
cold and no work was going on. The
men gathered around the stove were
young men. One was a stranger who
had come to the village on some business.
One of the others was the proprietor of
the store, while the remaining three were
young men who had been in Melville
about six months, and had been working
in the mines Eve miles from the village.
While they sat there talking to each other
a rough looking man opened the door to
the store and walked back TO the stove
where the men was sitting. It was Dud
Foster, rough mountaineer. cold Dud,"
as he was called, had lived in Melville all
his life and he knew everything that had
happened there since he was a boy.
HWell he's dead" drolled out Dud as he
rubbed his hands together and held them
over The stove.
"Who's dead?" asked Mr.. Baker, the
proprietor of the store.
'Why, old Bill Singleton" answered
bud: eyer knew that he never did hev no
kind O. Iuck.''
"No doubt he's better off now" said
Mr.. Baker; "no doubt he's better off. I've
been expecting to hear just such news for
several days.
eyes, reckon he Is better off," repeat
ed Dudd; but he had mighty tough time
while he were here. Tt peers ter me that
tx BIS a curi'us kind o. world anyway.
DtNft you think so, stranger?" continued
DH as he turned about and faced the
stHager who stood near him. eyer look
like yer knew thing or two eff yer nose
is red from drinkin' whisky"
eyes," replied the stranger; ''this is a
curious world. However, you needn't
SANDER my nose, for never touch whisky;
it's the cold weather that makes my nose
SO red"
"WelI, red nose is mighty good sign
that a man drinks all the time," said bud.
can yer say ye never touch whisky? Now
/ wouldn't O. believed it. Yer must for
give me, stranger; I didn't mean no harm.
But as l were agoin' ter say, this is a
mighty GURUS world, an thar are lots o.
things / don't understand. Now, thar
were six pussons IL that family awhile
back, an now thar amt one o. them livin'
this day-ail dead"
"Why, what's the matter?" asked the
stranger.
Haven't yer ever heard about it?" in
quired bud.
''I've never heerd about it," answered
the stranger; tout with it,
"Then III tell it ter ye. L know these
other fellers never heerd it, fer it han
pened fore they come"
There was some shutting of feet and
moving of chairs to make room for bud,
who had been standing up all the while.
Presently he was seated and began his
story, to which every one listened atten-
lively.
"Wen," said bud, sit were a GURUS
kind o. doin's. Thar were no 'countin'
fer it. ies' had ter put Bill down as an
anlucky man. He were q good Teller; he
never got drunk, alluz treated his family
we'll, an were kind ter everybody. When
he moved here he had wife an young
baby; that were nigh on ter twenty years
ago, an be never left this place arter he
moved here. He made money right along
fer nearly tea years; then his luck turned.
It kinder seemed that Providence had
somethin' agin him, fer all O. suddin he
lost nearly all his money speculatin';
then his house burnt down an it took
nearly all the money he had left ter build
another one. Bill had one gal an three
boys, an them boys were ez likely boys
ez We ever seed. He almost worshiped
them chillun o. his, an he were countin'
on them boys ter help him make back
his money, fer they were gettin' long in
years. They turned out TO be workin'
BOYS, an Bill were countin' on another
fortune. But, poor Teller; he never knew
what trouble were waitin' fer him. When
a mans gettin' long fustrate ne fergets
that he amt out o. reach o misfortune.
Poor Bill! he wern't out O. reach
"Jes' bout that time Bills wife she took
down an died. Well, o. co'rse this kind
er upset him fer the time bein.' Yer
know it upsots most onyone ter loso
good friend, an she were jes' bout the
best friend he had then; she alluz did the
best she could.
cam its mighty well I remember the
day We all buried her. Thar were Jim
Rollins, Bob Dudley, Sam Eikins, and
Ben Slocum-an tharter see everything
were done up right. Bill were kinder
broke down, yer know, an couldn't do
much. Bob dudley alluz went ter funer-
ais. There never were funeral in ten
miles o. this place that Bob Dudley didn't
90: he were the big man at every funeral
that come long. Most people called him
Bob, the Cumfarter,' fer he never failed
ter cumfort people that were in distress.
He alluz has some kind word fer every
one; it didn't make no difference whether
it were ter grown pusson or ter i child;
he never drawen no distinction between
the widow, widower, or orphini it we're
all the same ter Bob.
"Well, Bob seed Bill were IN deep